Predilection
by Aimless Ambition
Summary: The characters from CC have been reincarnated, and are thrust together for the first time since their deaths a hundred years before. But with no memories of their past lives, and a killer lurking in the shadows, will they be able to persevere?
1. Default Chapter

Author's Notes: Hello all! This is my first Count Cain fanfiction, so be gentle. I've had this idea floating around in my head for a couple months now. . .at first it was just a kind of random thought like, "Hmm. . .I wonder what happened AFTER the manga ended?" which nagged at me until it began to evolve into what you see here. When I began jotting ideas down, I was torn between making this immediately after 'the end' or fast forwarding into modern times. Obviously, the second one won out. I know there's already a Count Cain reincarnation story out there, and it's very good, but this story in no way relates to it as you will see. So, happy reviewing, and I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own the rights to Count Cain in it's many forms. . .or the characters. This is simply created for amusement, and because Kaori Yuki is the queen of storylines and characters. I mean, how could I NOT be tempted to use them? oO

Second Author's Note: Yeah, yeah, I know: ON WITH THE STORY. But, ehm, pardon the length of the first chapter, and the fact that it rambles a bit, but I needed to set up the basic storyline quickly. --;; Expect a new chapter every couple weeks or so, because that's about as long as it takes me to get around to these things. Oh, and please excuse any errors I know are probably in here. . . I'll get around to correcting those later. For now, it's late. . and I'm going to bed. Ciao.

Predilection: Chapter One

What a beautiful sky. . . I don't think I've ever seen a sky so blue or perfect before. . .the way only a few wispy clouds streak across a china blue backdrop. Looking at it, I feel as if I don't have a care in the world.

There's grass beneath me, a hilltop, covered in thousands of green blades, though their edges are dulled, soft, comforting. A sweet smell is carried on the breeze, the scent of flowers. I know I've smelled it before, but at the moment I can't think of it's name. Is there a garden nearby? I can't seem to muster the energy to turn my head and look.

My gaze is captured by that wonderful, beautiful sky. . .

Hey, you alright?

I squint a bit as the sun becomes too bright for my eyes to bare. Where did the sun come from?

Hello. . . .? Anyone home?

Suddenly a shadow falls over me and I can see again. There's someone standing above, their face hidden by the shadow cast by the light behind. But even though I can't see their face, I get the impression that they're smiling at me. . . isn't that strange?

HEY, RHETT.

The figure bends down, coming closer, but still I cannot see their face. A hand reaches out, offering to help me up, and somehow I'm able to move. . . reaching my own up in return. . .

WAKE UP, YOU LAZY IDIOT!

Rhett Hartman, age twenty four, suddenly jerked awake in response to the blaring voice aimed directly into his ear. Poised a bit precariously as he was, his rather tall frame nearly toppled over out of the hard, folding chair that had been his seat, and it was only by grabbing hold of the standard, sterile round table in front of him that he was able to regain his balance.

A peal of laughter from his right was followed by, "Man, that was hilarious! I wish I had a camera on me. . . !"

Clear blue eyes blinked once before Rhett managed to focus on his colleague, another medical student, Owen Robinson, who's grin threatened to split his face in two.

"Who. . .what happened?" Was his rather perturbed response, a long fingered hand raising to run once through his simply cut, very light blond hair. Still chuckling good-naturedly to himself, Owen slid a cup of coffee in front of the taller man before pulling out a chair for himself. The metal gave a slight grating sound as it was dragged, squeaking as the other man took his seat. Cradling his own Styrofoam cup between his hands, he blew a bit of the steam away before answering, "You fell asleep on your break, which ended five minutes ago. Thought I should come wake you up before one of the doctors or nurses found you."

Owen was fairly tall by common standards, though not as tall as Rhett, with sandy brown hair and somewhat narrow brown eyes. He wasn't the most handsome man, but he did have a certain charm about him that made quite a few of the nurses giggle at his constant flirtations. At times, the other student resented him because of his laid-back and easy going nature. . . and the fact that he was here because his father happened to have ties with some of the hospital's higher-ups. So, Owen spent his days fraternizing with the other students while Rhett had to work his butt off in every spare moment to make his scholarship money count. But in the short time he'd known him, (Rhett and Owen usually did not share the same schedule) Rhett couldn't deny that he was a friendly and likable person, if a bit irresponsible.

Picking up the offered cup of coffee, Rhett took the small plastic straw sitting inside and idly stirred it with a sigh. "I'm sorry, I guess I just nodded off for a moment."

"I'll say. It looked to me like you were as deep under as some of the coma patients." Owen brought his own cup to his lips for a sip and winced from the still too hot liquid. Then, leaning forward, he asked with a curious air, "So what were you dreaming about, anyway? Must've been good, you didn't seem to want to wake up. Not to my voice, anyway."

There was a slight shrug of shoulders from the taller man, his slender brows drawing together in a semblance of a thoughtful gaze. "I. . don't really remember it now. ." But actually, Rhett remembered the dream very clearly. . which was odd because it had been so brief, but so clear all the same. It wasn't like a typical dream. And that other figure. . .he couldn't recall ever knowing someone who fit that body type, but they definitely seemed familiar somehow.

"Eh, that happens sometimes. In fact, I can't remember most of the ones I have! Just the other night I remember dreaming something about. . ."

That was all Rhett's mind was able to pick up before it instantly began to drift, Owen's voice going on unnoticed as he rambled something about one of the night nurses who worked their floor. Blue eyes only a shade lighter than the perfect sky from his dream gazed towards the break room windows, watching the nurses and few doctors. . .as well as a couple other interns, walk back and forth on their various schedules.

The blond man was just about to get up in the middle of his friend's explanation (which now, he briefly noted, had switched to something about rubber ducks and strawberry jam) an excuse on the tip of his tongue . . .when a sudden commotion in the hallway caught his attention.

Hospital personnel were scattering as two blue suited rescue workers rushed a gurney by at high speed, a doctor and a couple nurses following very close behind. Rhett stood to his feet, long legs taking him the few steps over to the door as the group sped past. He caught a few words rattled back and forth between the paramedics and the doctor. . .and from what was said, it did not sound good.

". . . .got a call about a body and when they got there, the 'body' was still alive. Looks like he's been attacked by. ."

"Clear the way!"

"Pulse is fifty over thirty and dropping. . ."

". . tried to stabilize him on the ride over but we just didn't have the. . ."

The doors to the ER were knocked aside as the foot of the gurney reached them, opening with a 'whump' and whoosh of air. All rushed through, their voices dying away as the doors slowly closed behind them. A few seconds later, Owen peeked his head out from around the doorway-Rhett hadn't even noticed that he'd joined him there.

"Well, looks like it's back to work."

Once inside, the ER was in it's typical chaos. . . though in actuality, everyone was working towards one goal: to save the patient. His pulse and blood pressure had finally stabilized, though continued to beat at a weak rate. Another IV was called for, of saline solution, and inserted into one wrist in hopes of restoring lost fluid.

"Patient is unconscious with some deep lacerations on the arms and chest. . .none of the arteries were hit, though." One physician, Locke, bent over the person on the table, which Rhett could now see was no more than a young teen. If not for the gaping holes in the patient's t-shirt, baring much of the chest, the intern would have assumed they were female. Fifteen years old, possibly sixteen. Lifting each of the boy's eyelids, Locke shined a small penlight into each. "Pupils are responsive."

Both Rhett and Owen were called over by the attending physician. The penlight disappeared into his coat pocket, as he invited the two to stand opposite the gurney. Now that the patient was out of death's doorway for now, he would ask their opinion. "What do you two think?"

Now that the tall blond was close enough, he could see despite the oxygen mask that covered most of the boy's lower face, that his features were masculine if a bit delicate looking. The wounds on his chest and arms had closed, though blood had stained most of the front of his shirt and some had caked around the wounds, showing that he'd been bleeding while lying on his stomach for quite some time. His arms were sunburned, but the rest of his skin was pale, untypical for someone who had been living on the streets. "Runaway?"

The physician nodded before Owen added his own input, "And very dehydrated at that. I'd guess he's only been out there for three, maybe four days."

With a sigh, Locke took a needle and stitching thread from a nurse, while Rhett took a bottle of disinfectant and a cleaning pad from another. They worked diligently, removing any debris from the gashes before they were cleaned and properly sewn up. "The police got a call from a woman in a third floor apartment, said there was a child's body in the alleyway below. When they got there, they found the body alright, but it wasn't dead. Rushed him here as fast as they could."

All in all, only three of the wounds needed stitches, all on the arms. The others were shallow enough to be closed over with bandages. "They found only one piece of identification on him. A high school ID. Caleb Oake, junior at Scarsdale High."

"Any insurance?" Scarsdale High wasn't known to be the best school in town, but one could hope that he'd run from a middle class family with some sort of medical insurance.

Locke gave another shrug and wiped his hands on a cloth, then took the clipboard from the front of the boy's gurney and scribbled down orders for X-rays. The entire process had taken less than five minutes. "We're looking into it now, trying to locate his family or who he was staying with before."

A moment later, Caleb was wheeled out, and the ER was reduced to silence once more.

It was over an hour later when Rhett made it out. Almost immediately after the dark haired youth had gone to radiology, another patient had been wheeled in, this one a victim of a motorcycle accident. Followed by several more people, some with serious injuries or ailments, some with seemingly minor problems. Owen had managed to make it out fifteen minutes before him, and as he walked down the hallway the slightly shorter but more robust man met him.

"Hey! Glad to see they didn't keep you too long." Rhett barely had time to even think of a response, let alone say it, before Owen barreled on, heedless. But his voice lowered to an almost conspiratorial whisper at which the blond had to strain his ears over the other noise to hear.

"Found out some things. Remember that kid they wheeled in a while ago? Well, apparently he was attacked by that child killer who's been on the loose. The police are in questioning him now."

The news came as somewhat of a surprise to Rhett. The serial killer, who the press had dubbed as the Blackbird Killer, mostly because of their semblance to the nursery rhyme, had been giving authorities quite a time. Six kids between the ages of eleven and seventeen had fallen victim. Four had been runaways, two young teens from street gangs. Obviously, the killer was taking them right off the streets, but the detectives had very few leads so far . . . . it had been all over the news as of late.

"He's very lucky to be alive then. . ."

"No kidding, they were practically jumping at the bit for him to recover consciousness."

"Did we ever find out where he was from? What happened?"

The two abruptly stopped talking as they rounded a corner and almost ran into a nurse. There were a few apologies, and when she was far enough away, Owen continued. "Yeah, he's been missing from a place called Stone Chapel Children's Home for four days. Orphanage for both boys and girls, apparently. I'm not supposed to know any of this, so don't go blabbing it around but. . ."

Rhett almost had to smile at that. If anyone, Owen would do plenty of blabbing on his own, without the taller man's help.

"Poor kid's probably scared out of his wits. You know, most of them lead pretty messed up lives, and someone said he's got a history of mental illness too."

Suddenly, and for reasons unknown, Rhett felt protective of the young teen. Perhaps it was the trauma he knew Caleb was probably experiencing, of being viciously attacked and left for dead, only to wake up in the sterile, cold environment among strangers. Of being poked and prodded by these same strangers, and picked for information by the cops. Rhett had taken a few psychology courses, and although he wasn't an expert in the subject by any means, he did feel sorry.

"Do you know what room he's in?" The question surprised him, for he hadn't even thought about it until he felt the words slipping past his lips. But Owen, on the other hand, seemed as if he knew it was coming. It was no big secret that Rhett had a rather large, compassionate streak.

"113. Oh, and all the stuff on him came back normal. Nothing else to worry about. Well, except the media."

"Thanks."

When Rhett had found the room of their very lucky patient, two police were interviewing him just as he'd been told. Pausing in the doorway, he listened in for a moment and realized that while they were doing most of the talking in the form of questions, the youth on the bed seemed to be reluctant to give them any information, especially concerning himself.

"Can you describe your attacker for us, please?"

". . . . He was tall, a little over six feet. . Caucasian."

"And his face? What did he look like?"

"I don't know, he was wearing a hat pulled low on his head and dark sunglasses."

One of the cops gave a frustrated sigh, scribbling the information down. "And the weapon. . . could you describe it for us?"

"A knife."

". . .Alright. What KIND of knife?" The man was obviously becoming agitated by the boy's short, clipped answers.

"I don't remember."

"You have to remember something at least. Was it short, long, curved. . ?"

The dark haired youth crossed his arms over his chest, a stubborn look holding on his face. "I said I don't remember."

Taking the opportunity to interrupt, Rhett cleared his throat by the door, the sound soft but audible. Glancing over his shoulder, the cop standing next to the one jotting down the notes gave him a look as if to say, 'Yeah? What the hell do you want?' Wonderful. "Sorry to interrupt," well, actually, he really wasn't, and unfortunately the tone came out in his voice, "but the patient needs to rest. He's been through a very bad ordeal, I'm sure you can imagine, and we're still running some tests to make sure he's alright. ." Now the other cop had turned and was looking at him. He felt pinned to the spot.

From between the two, he could see Caleb's eyes focusing on him, watching with a degree of curiosity as he tried to get the officers to go away. He bet that the youth was intimidated by their questioning, and really was tired, besides. Heck, he could have blocked part of the traumatic attack out of his mind already, for all they knew.

Snapping his notebook closed, the pen was placed in a front pocket of the man's blue shirt. He regarded Rhett with a superior air that the intern did not like, but remained standing calmly with a carefully neutral expression on his face. "Alright, Mr. . ." Rhett watched as the man's eyes found the nametag clipped to his regulation clothes, "Hartman. . . I suppose we can come back. Tomorrow, if the patient is feeling up to it."

"I'm afraid that's impossible. Mr. Oake is being released this evening."

Rhett thought he saw a flash of disappointment behind the green-gold eyes staring from the bed's occupant.

With a few grumbling words, the officers took their leave. The tall blond distinctly heard one of them mutter just loud enough for him to hear, "Only solid lead on this psycho and the victim can't even remember what he looks like. Fan-fucking-tastic."

When they were gone, Rhett stepped further into the room, coming within a few feet of Caleb's bedside. The dark haired boy was still watching him, now with an unreadable expression on his youthful features. After a heartbeat, he gave a small sigh and leaned back against the pillows propped behind his back. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Am I really being released today? I mean. . .back to the home. .?" Ah, so Rhett hadn't been wrong after all. Caleb did not want to go back.

Instead of answering straight-forward, the blond pulled up a chair sitting against the wall and took a seat, doing his best to appear as non-threatening as possible. Callousness was a doctor's worst habit. "Why did you run away?"

Frowning slightly, the teen looked down at the back of his hands, one bearing a bandage over a gash across his palm. The small but slender fingers plucked distractedly at the starched sheet pulled about his waist. "It's not the first time, and it won't be the last. Those harpies that run the place'll probably act all too happy that I'm not dead, that one of their precious 'little lambs' is safe. Yeah right. They suck up to the public image, and then when they get me back they'll lock me up in my room just like they've done every time before. Then a few hours later, they'll all march in and tell me how pathetic I am, going over every little fault I have one by one, and say that if I ever get into trouble again, they'll just leave me. Personally, I'd prefer it if they did."

The words held such bitterness it at first shocked Rhett to see the anger behind what was before a very placid face. But there was also an intelligence, and a rationale that made the older man want to believe him. Owen had said that he had a history of mental illness? That just didn't seem to fit.

Caleb turned his gaze back towards the blond, a small, rueful smile on his lips. "You look as if you're surprised by what I've said."

Shaking his head a bit, Rhett tried to cover up his initial reaction. "N-no, what gave you that idea?" He winced at the faint stutter in his own voice. Way to go there.

"You thought I'd be a jittering skitzo, didn't you?" Caleb gave a small, scoffing sound, but his eyes looked somehow. . sad. . "So they've already started up with that, have they? That's their latest story you know. Tell the authorities or whoever gets hold of me after I run that I'm not right in the head. That I haven't been taking the medication I'm supposed to."

Rhett's brows drew together into a slight frown. "Why haven't you spoken up until now, then?"

"I have. But this is the first time I've been taken to the hospital, before they were only dealing with regular people, gullible people. They were much more ready to accept an adult's explanation than a mere sixteen year old's."

"I see." They both fell quiet for several moments, their thoughts seemingly shifting inwards. It was only when Rhett focused on the youth before him once more, that he realized that Caleb was beginning to drift off. It looked as if just staying awake was becoming hard for the dark haired boy, let alone carrying on such a conversation. "I'm sorry, you're tired, I should let you rest."

This was met with a small shake of Caleb's head, "It's okay, I didn't mind. And besides, you made those officers go away. . ."

"Yes, only to barrage you with my own questions. You need to recover and I'm sadly not helping at all."

Rhett stood to his feet and placed the chair back in it's place against the wall, his back turning to the youth on the hospital bed. He was just about to turn around, when a small, unsure voice broke the silence. ". . . .I saw you in the emergency room. ."

Startled, the blond turned around with a question poised on his lips. . .but it appeared that Caleb was fast asleep, his head turned so that one cheek pressed against the pillow behind his head, eyes peacefully closed. Shaking off the slightly creepy feeling that tried to wiggle it's way up his spine, he ran one hand through his platinum blond locks and gave a small sigh. What a strange kid. Coming back to the bed, he reached out and pulled the covers a little higher on Caleb's form, tucking him in. He thought it strange that he'd never done this for a patient before, never felt the need to, but for some reason. . . .

Shaking his head, he turned and left the room, turning off the light as he went, the light of the bedside lamp casting the room in a soft glow.

"Sweet dreams." The intern whispered, closing the door with an almost silent click.

To be continued in Chapter Two.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Well, this chapter took a lot longer to write than I thought it would. Mostly because not much happens this time. I'm still working on character development, because I want to stay true to the original characters but at the same time show how they've changed a bit from their former selves. The next chapter will have more plot, I promise.

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. Yes, I've changed their names, but essentially they are all copyright of Kaori Yuki. I'm making no money off of this, so it's pointless to sue. P

Over the next two hours, Rhett found himself increasingly distracted from his work, which was not good considering his chosen profession. So far, he had not made a mistake, though he had almost given two patients the wrong dosage of medication before he caught himself. And the reason for his distraction? A pair of haunting green eyes that absolutely would not get out of his head.

Running a hand over his face, the tall blond stood leaning against the nurse's station and tried to gather his concentration. His shift was supposed to end at five, thirty minutes away, but knowing his luck he'd be stuck there until six or even seven. And he had a mid-term exam coming up in three days that he'd barely even had time to study for. It looked like he wouldn't be sleeping more than a couple hours tonight, if at all. . . .yet again. The entire past week had been like this; no wonder he'd fallen asleep in the break room.

And now, he found himself no more than a few steps down the hospital's hall away from that boy's room. Gazing through his fingers, he blinked once as he noticed a young girl sitting in one of the chairs across the way, who also seemed to be focused on that same doorway. She had a head full of glossy blond hair that had been put into a short pony tail at the back of her head, a few chunks of bangs hanging loose around her face. Her feet were just shy of reaching the floor, and kicked restlessly back and forth, hands held clasped in her lap.

As if sensing the intern's eyes on her, the girl's gaze turned his way, and for a few seconds she seemed to scrutinize him. Then, she smiled what was obviously a polite but forced smile and her attention resumed down the hallway.

Not wanting to give the wrong impression by staring, Rhett made himself look away. A small pile folders rested on the counter beside him, and as if to find something else to do, he picked them up and began to peruse them, whether he should or not. But he couldn't help but think it was very odd that the girl appeared just before Caleb was scheduled to be released, and didn't seem to be there with anyone, either. Perhaps she was a classmate? Although she looked a bit too young to be in his grade. Girlfriend, maybe? There was still an age gap, but one could never tell with kids these days. . .

After a few moments of gazing at the pages without really seeing anything, Rhett closed the topmost folder and replaced the lot of them back onto the counter. Closing the few steps across the hallway, the tall blond came to a stop a couple feet away, catching the girl's attention once more.

"Can I help you, miss. . .?"

A pair of large eyes turned upwards, and from this close Rhett could see that they were a deep, bottomless shade of blue. "Madeline. And I came here to see my brother, but they won't let me go into his hospital room."

Brother? These two? Rhett never would have imagined that she would be his sister. There was hardly any resemblance, at least in coloring. Pushing past his confusion, a frown appeared on his face as he tried to sort that out. "Who told you that you couldn't go in? If you're related to him then there's no reason. ."

At that, the girl gave a big sigh and kicked one foot in irritation. "Well, you see, that's the problem. I'm not actually related to him. I just call him my brother because he's acted like one to me ever since we met. I used to live at the same orphanage, see."

Oh, well that explained it. They wouldn't let her in on the basis of blood relations. But sometimes, in a case like this, Rhett simply couldn't see the rationality in a rule like that. If he was an orphan, there was _no one_ who could see him except for the doctors and his legal guardian. Other wise known as the headmaster.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, the medical student glanced either way down the hospital, noticed that no one was looking, and whispered, "Perhaps I can let you see him. For a little bit."

It was technically an abuse of his power, but nurses did this all the time. Well, perhaps not ALL the time, given that hospital security had been boosted even more than it had been a few years ago. But in this case, it was probably alright.

Madeline gave him a faintly suspicious look, and inquired after a second of two. ". . . You're not a pervert, are you?"

Rhett barely caught himself from falling backwards, and instead settled for a slight widening of his eyes followed by a small laugh and a shake of his head. "No, I promise you I'm not a pervert."

"That's what they all say."

The tall male paused.

Lifting a small finger to her lips, Madeline's gaze drifted upwards, and her feet ceased their restless kicking. "But. . .you look like you're an honest enough person. Alright, Mr. Doctor, I'll see my brother now." Scooting forward, the girl hopped off of the thinly cushioned chair while grabbing a small, pink bag that had been resting behind her. Throwing it's strap over her shoulder, she gave an expectant look and waited for Rhett to lead.

The blond gave a small sigh before chuckling a bit. "Technically I'm an intern, I won't get a real medical license for a few more years."

As they walked down the hallway, Rhett kept a lookout for anyone who might notice that he was breaking regulation. But no one really looked their way, and the two managed to slip inside of Caleb's room unnoticed. The inside was still somewhat dark, just as the older man had left it, and the steady beep and faint whirring of machines beside the bed were the only noise in the silence.

Caleb, though, was lying awake on the hospital bed. And when the two entered, his head turned towards the movement. A look of surprise flashed briefly over his features as the young blond rushed up to his bedside, long bangs bouncing.

"Caleb. . !" Small little fingers found one of the boy's hands and clasped on tight.

"M-Maddy?"

Suddenly, the worried, affectionate tone was gone, replaced by an outraged berration, "Brother you idiot, you almost got yourself killed! Again! Is your death wish REALLY that strong? Do you know how much I was worried about you, and when you didn't show up after school yesterday. . . ."

A small wince twitched the corner of Caleb's lips and eye. "It's not like I did this on purpose, you know. . ."

The youth sounded sulky, almost hen-pecked.

"That doesn't matter!" One small fist raised into the air as the furious girl attempted to hit the other over the head. It was only with Rhett's quick intervention, by catching the fist into his larger hand, that she was thwarted.

"Please refrain from further injuring the patient. . . ."

Madeline blinked up at the much taller intern a few times, before slowly withdrawing her hand from his. "I'm sorry. ." She turned back to Caleb, who was gazing past her with a semi-relieved look, his eyes focused on his 'rescuer's' face. "You were badly hurt, weren't you? I heard it on the news, that's how I found out you were here."

The dark haired youth shifted a bit uncomfortably, his arms withdrawing to fold against his chest. "It wasn't that bad." The statement, coupled with the bandaging and bruises covering a good part of the skin that wasn't covered by the regulation hospital gown. . . . was quite hilarious. Though neither Rhett nor Madeline were inclined to chuckle. In fact, the little cherub just rolled her eyes and rested her chin in her hand. "You should see the other guy." That, at least, managed to crack a small smile.

"Oh, quit being such a stoic. It's okay to admit that you've lost sometimes."

Caleb said nothing, and instead continued to lay defensively with his arms crossed, his eyes refusing to meet the young girl's.

"And you really do worry me sometimes. I know you're much stronger and smarter than me, big brother, but when you do things like this. . . ."

"If I may. . interrupt. . ." Two pairs of eyes glanced up at the third voice, and Rhett's hands shifted into his pockets again. A habit. He looked between the two young 'siblings' as neither said a word, all attention now focused on himself. "Mr. Oake, I don't doubt that you thought you were perfectly able to take care of yourself. You seem to be a very confident person, and all of this must have come as a huge blow to your self esteem. But your sister is only trying to help, even if her methods are a bit. . uhm, aggressive."

The blond girl's head bobbed in agreement, and Caleb's chest heaved a sigh. "Fine, fine, if it's an apology you're looking for then here it is: I shouldn't have gone off on my own." The statement didn't seem wholly sincere to Rhett, but Madeline seemed to be satisfied by it, which was all that mattered.

"So next time you're considering running off again you'll be sure to think things through, right?"

A faint smile flitted across the boy's features before he nodded once. Then, unfolding one arm from across his chest, he reached up and placed a hand on Madeline's shoulder. "You should go, before your parents start worrying about you."

With a blink, those large blue eyes glanced to the clock hanging on the opposite wall before they widened with alarm. "It's already five-fifteen?! Dammit I promised I'd be home ten minutes ago!" Leaning forward, Madeline stole a quick kiss from Caleb's cheek before turning to scurry past Rhett and out the door.

"What have I told you about using strong language?" Caleb called after her, earning him a brief glance over one shoulder and the flash of a tongue sticking out from between rosebud lips.

"You can scold me about it later! Bye-bye!"

And with that, she was gone, leaving the other two gazing at the door she had dissapeared through. Then, slowly, their faces turned toward one another, and Caleb let out another sigh before settling back against the pillows. "Women. ." he muttered.

Both of Rhett's eyebrows raised a bit, before he chuckled under his breath. "She seems to be somewhat of a handfull."

"You don't know the half of it." Rolling his eyes heavenward, the dark haired youth seemed both exasperated and yet. . . a bit happier at the same time. "I can't tell you how many times I've been on the receiving end of that fireball temper."

"And she looked like such a sweet child at first. ." Coming closer to the bed, Rhett went about checking the equipment surrounding the teen, as well as checking the IV. . . whose bag of solution was nearly empty. At least if someone walked in, it'd look like he was doing some work. "Have you two known each other for a long time?"

Caleb watched him as the taller man removed a pen from his pocket as well as a tiny notebook, and scribbled down a few things. "I guess it's been a while. . . she came to the orphanage four years ago." There was a small pause before the youth's voice lowered, "She's not really my sister, you see. But she kind of latched onto me from day one. . . and. . ."

Smiling softly, Rhett slowly closed the notebook and returned it to one of his pockets. "I see." It was almost cute the way the younger boy tried to explain an obvious act of kindness, as if he was hesitant to admit it for what it was. "But she wasn't going back to the orphanage. . . you said something about her parents. . ?"

"They aren't her real ones. Maddy got adopted a few months ago, even though it's usually hard to be wanted after you turn five or six. Everyone wants a child they can raise." There was a faint, sad smile that touched Caleb's lips, before he sighed. "But this couple came in one day. . .and they'd lost their own daughter to cancer. She had been around the same age as Maddy, and they practically gushed over her. Everything was arranged as quickly as was legally possible."

"Was she happy to be adopted, then?"

". . . .At first, she was hesitant. I could tell that she wasn't very happy at Stone Chapel, no matter how much she tried to hide it, but. . " Here, Caleb paused again, as if he was unsure if he should be telling so much without the little girl present.

Sensing his worry, Rhett gave a small bow of his head and offered, "It's alright. You don't have to say anymore if you're uncomfortable. I didn't mean to pry in the first place. . ." When he gazed at the youth again, Caleb was regarding him with a somewhat funny look on his face. The taller man felt a small pang of paranoia. ". . Is something wrong?"

Caleb continued to almost stare at him from the bed, though after a second or two, he spoke up as to what his thoughts were. "You're sort of strange, you know. . .?"

Rhett blinked once, then blinked again. HE was the one who was strange? Out of the two of them, the patient lying before him was definitely the more unusual, or so he thought. True, the blond had his quirks, but he'd never really thought of himself as anything other than your ordinary college student. Well, minus the fraternizing. "What. . what makes you say that?"

That dark haired head cocked ever so slightly to the side, and Caleb's delicate nose wrinkled a bit in amusement. "You've just got this. . . kind of aura about you. It's old, but not like an elderly person. . .I mean old like you've been displaced from somewhere else. Your mannerisms and the way you speak sometimes, it reminds me of those novels I've read. Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. . .like that."

". . .Oh." Rhett still wasn't sure that he completely understood, but he thought he knew what the other was getting at. "Some people call it 'old-fashioned'," He offered, remembering a few times where he'd been poked fun at by some of his other classmates. But it hadn't really bothered him. Rhett was perfectly set in his ideas and outward appearance. . .even if some said it was outdated.

Caleb seemed to ponder this for a moment before he gave a nod of his head. "Yeah, that fits too." The youth's voice trailed off on that last word, reducing the room to silence once more. He seemed to withdraw into himself, and Rhett could almost imagine the wheels spinning behind his eyes. Then, he gave a small yawn, and his lids drooped over those same golden orbs.

It suddenly hit the older man as he watched this, that he was smiling to himself. He didn't know why, and so forced his lips back into their usual line. "You'll probably still be tired for a few days, while your body heals. I'm sure the doctor will prescribe you some medication for any pain you might have later, as well." As it was, Rhett could only imagine how much pain killer the boy was drugged up on.

Glancing over at him once more, one of Caleb's hands raised to rub at one sleepy eye. ". . .mn, I don't like being medicated. It's hard to think straight."

"I understa-"

Suddenly, the door opened, causing Rhett to trail off his statement and turn towards the two figures standing at the threshold. The intern immediately recognized one as Doctor Clifford, who was one of the doctors for this floor. But the other was a woman that he had never seen before. She was tall, but neither thin nor fat, and was wearing a long sleeved dress, plain dress. Her long black hair was pulled back loosely with a hair tie, and her fingers sported well manicured but unpainted nails. But what surprised Rhett the most was her age. . . she was not old at all, but appeared to be in her early thirties at most, with a lovely face that was understated with only the minimum amount of makeup. As they walked into the room, Dr. Clifford turned on the overhead lighting, causing the small space to be bathed in florescence. Caleb winced and had to blink several times before his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness.

"As you can see, he's already recovering well." The doctor spoke to the woman, though Rhett caught his gaze and received a rather suspicious look from the middle-aged man. "Usually with a case like this we'd like to keep the patient overnight for observation, but since his injuries are all superficial. . ."

"Yes, I know all about your hospital procedures, but all of us at Stone Chapel would feel so much more at ease if he was under our care. We have our own infirmary wing equipped with everything he might need." The woman's attention turned to Rhett, then, and with a smile that blatantly covered up a suspicious look, she asked, "And who might you be?"

But before the intern could answer, Caleb spoke up, and his voice sounded more unemotional and guarded than Rhett had yet heard. "He's just an intern who was walking by, and I was thirsty, so I asked him for a cup of water." His and the woman's gaze locked, and the tall blond could practically feel the hostility radiating from them.

"Oh? I don't see a cup here."

"I'd just asked him before you walked in."

Rhett couldn't tell if the woman believed Caleb or not, but he doubted it. It was probably only the lack of evidence to catch the youth that caused her to drop the subject. An uncomfortable silence fell for several seconds, before Dr. Clifford gave a small cough and looked towards Rhett. "Well, you go on about that. We'll begin getting the release papers ready."

With a small nod, the student left the room, refraining all the way to the door from looking at the youth on the bed. He didn't want to provide that woman from the orphanage any more suspicions. Add fuel to the fire, so to speak. Caleb hadn't been lying, he knew now. . . .that woman just did not seem genuine.

No more than five minutes later, he returned with a disposable cup in hand, filled thee-fourths full with water from the break room's cooler. When he stepped back into the room, he was surprised to discover that it was empty. A weight seemed to settle on the back of his shoulders, accompanied by a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. These people moved fast. Immediately, he checked the hallway outside, but there was no sign of the doctor, woman, or Caleb. Sighing to himself, the intern let himself lean against the side of the doorway, until one of his supervisors told him he could go. It was already six o'clock, an hour later than he was supposed to stay, but for some reason he didn't really feel like leaving.

He hadn't gotten to say goodbye.

But he knew it would be useless to look. And it would probably just raise more questions if he did. Gazing down at the cup in his hand, he made a stop back by the break room to pour the water down the sink. The clear plastic cup fell into the wastebasket.

- - - - - - - - -

The sun was just beginning to set when Rhett reached his apartment. It was a little small but comfortable. . . with one bedroom, a bath, a living area and economy kitchen. He had the choice of moving into one of the buildings right across from the hospital, but he decided on a complex a block or so away. Here it was quieter, away from the busy street, and the apartments themselves were nicer even though they were about fifty dollars cheaper on rent.

Hanging his keys beside the door, the medical student flipped on the light switch as well, illuminating a sparsely furnished living/study area. Several text books laid on the coffee table, as well as a few notebooks scattered here and there. A study sheet rested on the floor beside, where it had fallen sometime that morning.

Slowly, almost methodically, he came over to the couch and sat down. Picking up one of the heavy college tomes, he turned to an indicated page and began to read.

But his interest was hardly piqued by the letters and words forming on the pages.

It looked like it would be another long, sleepless night.

And somewhere across the city, the owner of a pair of gold tainted eyes agreed.

---- --- --- ----

To be continued in Chapter Three.

End Note: Feedback is good. It motivates me to write faster. So please be kind and review.


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